14 Words by Email

Thursday, 30 August 2012

The Claims Conference
accused Hungary’s government of “depriving” Holocaust survivors through
“disgraceful” and “deceitful tactics.”

The allegations came
after Budapest demanded on Monday that the Claims Conference, an
organization representing world Jewry in compensation talks on
Holocaust-era crimes," return" $12.6 million to Hungary’s treasury.

An announcement published
on the website of the Hungarian Ministry of Public Administration and
Justice cited “discriminatory” methods by the Claims Conference that had
“failed to properly report” on expenditure. Hungary would give the
Claims Conference no more funds until the issue is solved, the
announcement said.

Claims Conference
Executive Vice President Greg Schneider told JTA that this was the first
time in the organization’s 62 years of operation “that a country has
reneged when it came time to pay. We hope that intervention at the
highest level in Hungary will resolve this issue for Hungarian survivors
who need help.”

According to the
Hungarian ministry, the money Hungary is demanding is part of $21
million pledged by the government in 2007 for the following five years
for Holocaust survivors in Hungary and abroad. A new settlement was to
be signed this year.

The money was transferred
initially from the treasury to the Jewish Heritage of Hungary Public
Endowment, or Mazsok -- a committee of government officials and Jewish
representatives. Mazsok transferred $12.6 million to the Claims
Conference for distribution outside Hungary, the ministry said.

But the Claims Conference
told JTA that the Hungarian government had failed to transfer $5.6
million of the $21 million pledged. In an email to JTA, the Claims
Conference said it only spent approximately $8 million received from
Hungary.

“As a result of such
conduct, thousands of Holocaust survivors will, unfortunately, be
deprived of the assistance they so desperately need and had reason to
expect,” the Claims Conference added. It called Hungary’s allegations
“disgraceful” and “deceitful tactics.”

In its statement, the
Hungarian ministry said distribution of funds by the Claims Conference
“was made on a far-from-equal footing, which represents discrimination
to the detriment of Holocaust survivors living in Hungary.” Based on the
report submitted by the Claims Conference to date, “it is impossible to
identify the individuals eligible for compensation,” the ministry wrote
on its website.

The Claims Conference,
according to the email it sent JTA, gave Budapest a 400-page report
containing the names of all recipients and how much they received.

“Every penny was
transferred to a Hungarian survivor, not even one cent was spent on
administration or any other expense,” the Claims Conference said.

The email also said that funding for Holocaust survivors stopped after 2010, when the Fidesz party came to power.

“We call upon Prime
Minister Orban to intercede in order to help needy Hungarian survivors
who happen to live outside of Hungary today and comply with
international agreements,” it said.